Door lock



Aug. 17, 1965 PlCKLEs 3,201,163

DOOR LOCK Filed Aug. 6, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. IO 47 P/C A 7, 1965 J. PICKLES 3,201,163

DOOR LOCK Filed 6, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. .7 PH p/ovzz United States Patent 3,2tl1,163 DGOR LUCK Joseph Pickles, Dearhorn, Mich, assignor to Ferro Manufacturing Corporation, a corporation of Michigan Filed Aug. 6, 1962, Ser. No. 214,917 4 Claims. (Cl. 2922ll6) The present invention relates to an improved automobile door lock of simplified construction enabling the cost of a lock installation, including door-mounted latching means and door post-mounted keeper or striker means, to be substantially reduced. More particularly, the invention relates to a door lock of the type having a forklike latching member or plate which in locking position is adapted to straddle a fixed keeper pin on the door post, thereby holding the door in a closed and latched relation to the post.

In known adaptations of locks embodying a forked latch member as described, as distinguished from a type emboclyin a star or gear-shaped rotary bolt, the forked latching member, in straddling the door post keeper pin as mentioned, is usually engaged from above by a springurged wedge member of a post-mounted wedging unit, since the fork of the latch member or plate normally opens vertically downwardly in the latched condition of the door and it is desired to restrain vertical vibration of the latch assembly and the door carrying same. Needless to say, the heretofore felt necessity of such a wedge plate or block unit, in association with the usual keeper pin, adds materially to the cost of production and assembly of the keeper or striker means.

It is therefore a general object of the invention to provide an improved door lock of lessened cost of produc tion and assembly by reason of its provisions for eliminating the need for wedging means in association with the door post-mounted keeper pin.

More specifically, it is an object to provide a door lock which attains this objective by means of a novel disposition of its forked latching member or plate in relation to the plane or direction in which the door and its fixedly mounted, releasable latch unit swings into and out of latching engagement with the keeper pin.

In general accordance with the invention, the pivoted latch member has a forked pinengaging formation which, when one arm of the forked member, i.e., a longer, following arm, swings into engagement with the keeper pin, the lock. being in unlatched condition at this time, motion of the latch member from its open, unlatched position commences, the other or leading arm of the latching member just clearing above the top of the keeper pin. The latching member swings through an intermediate position in which the keeper pin, while engaged between the arms of the latching member, will hold the latch unit and door in an intermediate or safety position if the clos ing swing of the door is not completed; but if it is, the latch member continues to pivot to a fully latched posi tion, in which it is detent-held to hold the door tightly closed.

While this general scheme of operation is similar to that of known types of forked latch and keeper pin constructions, the principle of the present invention departs from this in that, as finally disposed in its pin-engaging and latching position, and as held in this position by a detent engaged tooth associated with the member, one of the arms of the latter, i.e., the leading arm of the two-armed fork formation, presents a surface which bears against the keeper pin from an outer side and bottom of the latter at a substantial angle. Otherwise, the forked latched formation straddles or cradles the keeper pin from above, with the result that, due to the horizontal component of restraint aiforded by the inclined surface referred to, the latching unit and door carrying the same are well refiidldfd ice strained against vertical vibratory action or movement. This restraining action performed by the forked latching member, in addition to its normal releasable latching action, permits the elimination of the wedge block unit on the door post which has previously been considered essential to the restraint of the door against vibratory movement in a vertical direction relative to the door post and keeper pin.

Another object is to provide a door lock as described in which, as fixedly associated with a toothed holding member or plate for rotation therewith as a unit, the forked latching member or plate presents a restraining surface as described which lies at a downward and out- Ward angle of approximately 45 relative to the direction or plane in which it and its mount to the door swing into and out of latching engagement with the keeper pin. The latching member or fork otherwise straddles and downwardly engages the keeper pin from above to complete a two-directional vertical restraint of the door, with the latching fork being detent-restrained against spring biased unlatching movement.

The foregoing as well as other objects will become more apparent as this description proceeds, especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view in end elevation, as from the free swinging edge or end of an automobile door, i.e., in section on a line corresponding to line 1-1 of FIG. 3, showing latch and latch detent or holding components of the improved lock in an open or unlatched condition thereof as the door is being swung toward a latched relation to a door post-mounted keeper pin;

FIG. 2 is an elevational View similar to FIG. 1, showing the forked latching plate or member of the latching unit in dot-dash line when in an intermediate or safety position, and in solid line when in a final latched condition; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view in generally vertical cross section along broken line 3-3 of FlG. 2.

In accordance with conventional procedure, the latching and detent assembly, generally designated ill, of the improved lock is mounted upon a sheet metal mounting plate 11 which is in known manner fixedly applied across the free swinging outer end or edge of an automobile door (not shown). An integral flange (also not shown) extends across a side portion of the door and serves as a mount for certain inside-operated or remote control components of the lock, which are not germane to the present invention, hence have not been shown in order to simplify the disclosure. It may be assumed that they are quite conventional and coast with the detent part, to be described, in a known fashion.

The reference numeral 13 generally designates a further fixed mount for a keeper or striker pin 14, which is fixedly attached to the usual upright door post of the automobile frame, the pin 14 extending toward the mounting plate 11, as illustrated in FIG. 3.

As best shown in that figure, the mounting plate 11 is embossed at 15 to fixedly receive a flanged sleeve 16 surrounding an opening 17 in the embossment l5; and a bronze flanged bushing 18 extends inwardly through the opening 17, its flange l9 axially abutting the outer edge of sleeve 16. The parts 16, 18 are fixedly associated with one another and with the mounting plate 11. i

A stem Zll is provided which has a cylindrical central body portion 21 rotatably mounted within bushing 18 and opposite end portions 22, 23 extending axially from the body portion 21. The portions 22, 23 respectively project outwardly beyond the bushing 18 and inwardly beyond the mounting plate, in which zones they are flattened at 24, as appears in FIGS. 1 and 2, for the fixed reception of certain latch and latch holding parts.

Thus, the flattened formation 24 at the stem end portion 22 is fixedly engaged by a correspondingly shaped opening in a forked latching bolt member or plate 26; while the flattened stem formation at the opposite portion 23 similarly fixedly receives a holding member or plate 27, so that the latching member and holding me. ber move rotatively with stem 2% as a unit on opposite sides of mounting plate 11.

As indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the holding member or plate 27 integrally carries a pair of radially projecting, circuinferentially spaced holding teeth 25?, 3f), of which the function of the former is to be engaged in a con ventional manner by detent means (to be described) and bus hold forked latching plate 26 in its final door-latching position shown in solid line in FIG. 2, while the function of the tooth St? is to be similarly engaged by such detent means to hold latch member 26 in an intermediate position illustrated in dot-dash line in FIG. 2 (although the corresponding position of the detent means referred to does not appear in that figure).

Otherwise, the tooth holding member 27, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, comprises an integral outwardly extending stop arm or extension 32 and a circular bottom formation 33 extending circumferentially to a chord edge 33', which in turn extends to a junction with the safety iolding tooth 3-1).

As indicated in FIG. 1, the stop arm or extension 32 is adapted to engage downwardly against a fixed piece 34 welded to mounting plate 11 to proiect at a righ angle from the inner side of the latter. This limits the clockwise motion (FIGS. 1 and 2) of the holding member or plate 27 in the released condition of the latter and of the forked latch member or plate 26 which rotates therewith as a unit. The plate 27, along with stem Zll and latch plate 26 thus rotated unitarily therewith, is biased in the release direction by means of a coiled torsion spring 3i; which is anchored at one end 37 beneath the fixed mounting plate part 34 and which is connected at its opposite end 38, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, to a plate or washer 39 fixedly received upon the flattened inner end portion 23 of stem 26, after encircling such plate or washer for a few turns.

The toothed holding plate 27, along with parts fixedly associated. therewith, is releasably held in either the final latched condition of latch member 26 appearing in solid line in FIG. 2, or in the intermediate position of the latter indicated in dot-dash line, by means of a detent unit generally designated 41. This comprises a plate 42 pivotally mounted on the inner side of mounting plate 11 by means of a pin 43, and an actuating member 44 of bell-crank character which is also pivotally mounted by a pin 43. Such member 44 comprises an operating extension 45 adapted to be actuated in known fashion by push button or handle structure (not shown) of the door, and the operating plate 44 is shown (FIGS. 1 and 2) as being provided with an offset lug 46 in engagement with the detent plate 42 from beneath to lift the latter from the dotted line position to the dot-dash line position of FIG. 1, when the operating part 45 is manipulated to swing member 44- clockwise about its pivotal mount at pin 43, thus releasing detent plate 42.

Detent plate 42 carries an integral detent arm 43 (FIGS. 1 and 2), which engages the final holding tooth 29 of holding plate 27 in the fully latched condition of the lock, which engages with the second holding tooth 30 in the intermediate or safety latched condition of the lock, and which otherwise rests upon the chord 33 of holding member 27 in the open or released condition of the lock, as appears in dotted line in FIG. 1.

The detent unit 41, as comprised of members 42 and 44, is urged counterclockwise (FIGS. 1 and 2) about the pivot pin 43 by means of a spring 50 encircling the pin, the spring being anchored at 51 against mounting plate 11 and engaging the top of detent member 42 at 52; so that detent unit &1 as a whole is resiliently biased towards the toothed holding member for its releasable engagement with holding teeth 2%, 3t Otherwise, the detent plate or member 42 is provided with a pair of spaced and outwardly extending projections 53, 54 whose function is concerned with the operation of certain insideoperated or remote control latching and locking .provisions of the invention, with which the present improvement does not deal, and which accordingly have not been shown.

Now referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, it is seen that the forked latch member 26 is provided with generally radially extending arms or fingers 56, 57, defining an outwardly opening, U-shaped recess 53 which is adapted to straddle or nest from above about the fixed striker or keeper pin 14 on the door post when the plate 26 is in its full latching position illustrated in solid line in FIG. 2. It will be noted that in its opposite extreme position shown in solid line in FIG. 1 (in which it is stopped by engagement of the extension arm 32 with the mounting plate piece 34) the recess opens at an inclination downwardly and inwardly relative to the direction in which the door and mounting plate 11 swing in the closing of the door, such direction being indicated by the dot-dash reference line D in FIGS. 1 and 2.

In this disposition of latch member 26, the lower end of its forward or inner, pin engaging and latch holding arm 57, direction-wise, will just clear above the keeper pin 14 on the door post; and its trailing actuating arm 56 will engage pin 14 to commence rotation of member 26, against the force of spring 36, in a counterclockwise direction. As the swing of member 26 continues, a straight-edge surface 6% of the fork arm 57 will pass through the upright position shown in dot-dash line in FIG. 2, the latch member then straddling keeper pin 14 to hold the door in its intermediate, safety position in the event full closure of the door to its finally held latching position is not carried out.

Arriving at such fully latching position shown in solid line in FIG. 2, the latch bolt or plate 26 is fixedly held against reverse movement under the bias of spring 36 by the engagement of detent arm 43 against the final holding tooth 29 of holding plate 27. As appears in the last named figure, the straight-edge surface 60 of the fork arm 57 is now at an inclination, represented by the angle A in PEG. 2, of approximately 45 to a normal or relation, represented by the reference line N, to the direction D of swinging movement of the door to closed position. At the same time, the upper or inner root portion of fork recess 58 is snugly nested about and engaged with the top of keeper pin 14 from above. Thus, the pin 14 has the effect of restraining downward movement of latch plate 26, hence of the door, by reason of such nested engagement of the fork with the pin; while upward movement of the latch member and door will be positively and effectively restrained by the generally horizontal component (paralleling direction line D) excited by the outwardly inclined edge 6t) of the arm 57 of the forked latching member 26. This is amply adequate for desired restraint of vibratory action of the door, yet still enough to permit the necessary are of swing of latch plate 26 from its solid line, unlatching position of FIG. 1, to its final solid line latching position of FIG. 2, and return under the bias of spring 36 when the detent unit 41 is actuated from its solid line to its dotdash line position of FIG. 1.

Generally speaking, the structural provisions of the improved lock are simple and rugged, and by assigning to the forked plate or member the vertical restraining function described above, in addition to its normal swinging function in unlatching and latching the door, it is made possible to eliminate a significant component of the usual post-borne striker structure, namely the overhead 1 restraining wedge piece or block and its mounting provisions. Thus, the improvement of the invention contributes significantly to the reduction of cost of an install-ation, without in any degree detracting from its efiectiveness of operation in all respects.

The drawings and the foregoing specification constitute a description of the improved door lock in such full, clear, concise and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, the scope of which is indicated by the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a door lock for use with door and frame members relatively swingable in opposite latching and unlatching directions, a forked latching member mounted to pivot on one of said members into and out of position for straddling and latching engagement with a keeper member on the other of said members, said latching member having holding means fixed relative thereto to pivot therewith, a detent unit releasably engageable with said holding means to positively but releasably hold said latching member in latching engagement with the keeper member, and spring means urging said latching member and holding means out of said position of the latching member when said detent member is released from said holding means, said forked latching member having an actuating arm, a holding arm and a root portion midway between.

said arms, said root portion being engaged and restrained by said, keeper member in one vertical direction when said latching member is in said position for said straddling and latching engagement, said holding arm being provided with an inclined holding surface then engaging said keeper member for a substantial distance about the latter from said root portion with a substantial component of force from the opposite vertical direction, said surface being at an inclination substantially acute and convergent with the direction of horizontal relative swing of the door and frame members in the latching direction, said component of force being normal to the direction of swing for the vertical restraint of the door member in said opposite direction by said keeper member.

2. A door lock in accordance wth claim 1, in which said inclination of said holding arm surface is approximately 1 3. A door lock in accordance with claim 1, in which said holdin arm surface is straight.

4,. A door loclr in accordance with claim 1, in which said holding arm surface is straight and said inclination hereof is approximately 45.

References (Iited by the Examiner UNIT ED STATES PATENTS 1,275,954 8/18 McGowan 292--99 1,544,960 7/25 Watts 292216 1,937,520 12/33 Lightner.

2,156,874 5/39 Schonitzer 292216 2,246,787 6/41 Dall 2-92-99 M. HENSON WOOD, 111., Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A DOOR LOCK FOR USE WITH DOOR AND FRAME MEMBERS RELATIVELY SWINGABLE IN OPPOSITE LATCHING AND UNLATCHING DIRECTIONS, A FORKED LATCHING MEMBER MOUNTED TO PIVOT ON ONE OF SAID MMEBERS INTO AND OUT OF POSITION FOR STRADDLING AND LATCHING ENGAGEMENT WITH A KEEPER MEMBER ON THE OTHER OF SAID MEMBERS, SAID LATCHING MEMBER HAVING HOLDING MEANS FIXED RELATIVE THERETO TO PIVOT THEREWITH, A DETENT UNIT RELESABLY ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID HOLDING MEANS TO POSITIVELY BUT RELEASABLY HOLD SAID LATCHING MEMBER IN LATCHING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE KEEPER MEMBER, AND SPRING MEANS URGING SAID LATCHING MEMBER AND HOLDING MEANS OUT OF SAID POSITION OF THE LATCHING MEMBER WHEN SAID DETENT MEMBER IS RELEASED FROM SAID HOLDING MEANS, SAID FORKED LATCHING MEMBER HAVING AN ACTUATING ARM, A HOLDING ARM AND A ROOT PORTION MIDWAY BETWEEN SAID ARMS, SAID ROOT PORTION BEING ENGAGED AND RESTRAINED BY SAID KEEPER MEMBER IN ONE VERTICAL DIRECTION WHEN SAID LATCHING MEMBER IS IN SAID POSITION FOR SAID STRADDLING AND LATCHING ENGAGEMENT, SAID HOLDING ARM BEING PROVIDED WITH AN INCLINED HOLDING SURFACE THEN ENGAGING SAID KEEPER MEMBER FOR A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE ABOUT THE LATTER FROM SAID ROOT PORTION WITH A SUBSTANTIAL COMPONENT OF FORCE FROM THE OPPOSITE VERTICAL DIRECTION, SAID SURFACE BEING AT AN INCLINATION SUBSTANTIALLY ACUTE AND CONVERGENT WITH THE DIRECTION OF HORIZONTAL RELATIVE SWING OF THE DOOR AND FRAME MEMBERS IN THE LATCHING DIRECTION, SAID COMPONENT OF FORCE BEING NORMAL TO THE DIRECTION OF SWING FOR THE VERTICAL RESTRAIN OF THE DOOR MEMBER IN SAID OIPPOSITE DIRECTION BY SAID KEEPER MEMBER. 